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The Making of Dr. Truelove
When his own jealousy and insecurity causes a huge rift between his girl and him, Diego decides to become a relationship e-columnist under a secret name in order to win back Roxy's heart by saying all the right things undercover that he couldn't seem to say in person. Original.
233 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
About the author
Derrick Barnes
33 books254 followersWhere I come from, no one dreams of becoming an author.
I didn’t know any famous African American male authors. I didn’t actually meet one until I attended college. I wanted to be a football player, the next Sean Combs, or a rapper; anything that would instantly provide me with the riches I would need to “move my mama off of the block”. I was raised in a single parent household by my mother, the lovely Miss Catherine Barnes, along with my big brother, Anthony, in Kansas City, MO.
My first attempt at writing a real story was in the fifth grade. I think it was about a group of stray dogs trekking across the country to find a magic bone or something. I can’t remember. But I do remember what it felt like when I finished and read it. It felt powerful to create characters, places, and stories that began and ended the way I wanted them to. After that I wrote songs, poems, plays, and short stories. I also read like crazy. I remember tying a shoestring around a flashlight, hanging it on the bar in my closet, and sitting in there reading encyclopedias. My brother thought I was the weirdest kid ever, but that was my way of traveling, of flying, and dreaming.
When I graduated from high school, I worked a couple of part time jobs and attended a local community college. I received an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration. I went on to Jackson State University, a historically black college in Jackson, Mississippi, where I obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing. It was there that I experienced life altering events and met people that changed me forever. I met my then college sweetheart and now beautiful wife, Dr. Tinka Barnes. I met life long friends (big up to my brothers JG, Killa Don, and Noir). I also became a campus newspaper advice columnist. All three of those occurrences and acquaintances changed my life vividly, but the column, entitled Brown Sugar, gave me the confidence to write with purpose. I also felt like, for the first time, that I had something to say and that people would listen. Who wouldn't listen to a guy with the pen name "Hershey Brown"?
Upon graduation, I moved back to Kansas City with no intentions of using my brand new, shiny Marketing degree in a drab, corporate environment. With the urging of my wife, I sent a writing portfolio to Hallmark Cards, and was hired as the first African-American man in the history of the company as a staff copywriter in 1999. I worked there for three years. I learned so much about crafting my words, about editing, and about constructive criticism. While at Hallmark, I met so many talented artists and was introduced to my now literary agent, Ms. Regina Brooks of Serendipity Literary Agency. Within a month, we had a two-book deal signed with Scholastic. My wife and I also welcomed our first son into the world, Ezra.
My family and I moved to New Orleans, LA so that my wife could complete her medical residency in 2003. While there we had our second son, Solomon, and I landed a deal with Simon Pulse for my first novel, “The Making of Dr. Truelove”. We lived there for two and a half years until we were chased back to Kansas City by the most disastrous force of nature in US history, Hurricane Katrina.
We returned to KC safe and sound. My wife officially finished medical residency and became a full fledged doctor. We had our third son, Silas, and I landed a four-book deal with Scholastic for the ultra popular hit series, “Ruby and the Booker Boys”.
Some days, when I read to my sons or go to schools and read to kids, I can still see that little boy reading encyclopedias by flashlight. Hopefully, a child will meet me and say to themselves, “You know what, it’s possible. I can become an author! I’ve met, and have seen with my very own eyes, a living, breathing author. It’s definitely possible for me.”
It most certainly is.
I didn’t know any famous African American male authors. I didn’t actually meet one until I attended college. I wanted to be a football player, the next Sean Combs, or a rapper; anything that would instantly provide me with the riches I would need to “move my mama off of the block”. I was raised in a single parent household by my mother, the lovely Miss Catherine Barnes, along with my big brother, Anthony, in Kansas City, MO.
My first attempt at writing a real story was in the fifth grade. I think it was about a group of stray dogs trekking across the country to find a magic bone or something. I can’t remember. But I do remember what it felt like when I finished and read it. It felt powerful to create characters, places, and stories that began and ended the way I wanted them to. After that I wrote songs, poems, plays, and short stories. I also read like crazy. I remember tying a shoestring around a flashlight, hanging it on the bar in my closet, and sitting in there reading encyclopedias. My brother thought I was the weirdest kid ever, but that was my way of traveling, of flying, and dreaming.
When I graduated from high school, I worked a couple of part time jobs and attended a local community college. I received an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration. I went on to Jackson State University, a historically black college in Jackson, Mississippi, where I obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing. It was there that I experienced life altering events and met people that changed me forever. I met my then college sweetheart and now beautiful wife, Dr. Tinka Barnes. I met life long friends (big up to my brothers JG, Killa Don, and Noir). I also became a campus newspaper advice columnist. All three of those occurrences and acquaintances changed my life vividly, but the column, entitled Brown Sugar, gave me the confidence to write with purpose. I also felt like, for the first time, that I had something to say and that people would listen. Who wouldn't listen to a guy with the pen name "Hershey Brown"?
Upon graduation, I moved back to Kansas City with no intentions of using my brand new, shiny Marketing degree in a drab, corporate environment. With the urging of my wife, I sent a writing portfolio to Hallmark Cards, and was hired as the first African-American man in the history of the company as a staff copywriter in 1999. I worked there for three years. I learned so much about crafting my words, about editing, and about constructive criticism. While at Hallmark, I met so many talented artists and was introduced to my now literary agent, Ms. Regina Brooks of Serendipity Literary Agency. Within a month, we had a two-book deal signed with Scholastic. My wife and I also welcomed our first son into the world, Ezra.
My family and I moved to New Orleans, LA so that my wife could complete her medical residency in 2003. While there we had our second son, Solomon, and I landed a deal with Simon Pulse for my first novel, “The Making of Dr. Truelove”. We lived there for two and a half years until we were chased back to Kansas City by the most disastrous force of nature in US history, Hurricane Katrina.
We returned to KC safe and sound. My wife officially finished medical residency and became a full fledged doctor. We had our third son, Silas, and I landed a four-book deal with Scholastic for the ultra popular hit series, “Ruby and the Booker Boys”.
Some days, when I read to my sons or go to schools and read to kids, I can still see that little boy reading encyclopedias by flashlight. Hopefully, a child will meet me and say to themselves, “You know what, it’s possible. I can become an author! I’ve met, and have seen with my very own eyes, a living, breathing author. It’s definitely possible for me.”
It most certainly is.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 5, 2012
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com
When Diego's plans to lose his virginity with his girlfriend, Roxy, don't go the way he wanted them to, he pushes her away. Too late, he realizes his mistake, but he has no idea how to get her back. She's a great girl, being chased by one of the hottest young athletes around, and Diego is a jazz-loving math geek--a jazz-loving math geek who understands Roxy like no one else, but still. There's no way, he thinks, that he can compete with popular, athletic John-John McAfee.
However, his boy J-Live has a plan. A rather insane plan, sure, but it's all Diego's got, so he agrees to go along with it. J-Live wants Diego to start writing an anonymous column about love and sex online. The plan, he says, is foolproof. Diego will learn his stuff from girly magazines, write it all as the anonymous Dr. Dexter Truelove, and then, at the height of his popularity, Diego's identity will be revealed, and Roxy, realizing that he really does have a way with the ladies, will want him back.
Any sensible person--Diego included--would realize the insanity of this plan, but Diego will do anything to get back with Roxy. Of course, like all good plans, it has serious potential to blow up in his face...
Derrick Barnes' smart, funny, debut novel will appeal to all teens. Barnes holds nothing back here, so in case the previous summary isn't enough, beware of some racy content. However, if you're comfortable with that, you will love this book! Barnes is a talented author who really brings his characters to life--my personal favorite is the always scheming J-Live. I can't wait to see what Derrick Barnes comes up with next!
When Diego's plans to lose his virginity with his girlfriend, Roxy, don't go the way he wanted them to, he pushes her away. Too late, he realizes his mistake, but he has no idea how to get her back. She's a great girl, being chased by one of the hottest young athletes around, and Diego is a jazz-loving math geek--a jazz-loving math geek who understands Roxy like no one else, but still. There's no way, he thinks, that he can compete with popular, athletic John-John McAfee.
However, his boy J-Live has a plan. A rather insane plan, sure, but it's all Diego's got, so he agrees to go along with it. J-Live wants Diego to start writing an anonymous column about love and sex online. The plan, he says, is foolproof. Diego will learn his stuff from girly magazines, write it all as the anonymous Dr. Dexter Truelove, and then, at the height of his popularity, Diego's identity will be revealed, and Roxy, realizing that he really does have a way with the ladies, will want him back.
Any sensible person--Diego included--would realize the insanity of this plan, but Diego will do anything to get back with Roxy. Of course, like all good plans, it has serious potential to blow up in his face...
Derrick Barnes' smart, funny, debut novel will appeal to all teens. Barnes holds nothing back here, so in case the previous summary isn't enough, beware of some racy content. However, if you're comfortable with that, you will love this book! Barnes is a talented author who really brings his characters to life--my personal favorite is the always scheming J-Live. I can't wait to see what Derrick Barnes comes up with next!
April 29, 2008
This Book is awsome read it if you like sex,and love and what teens go through
August 30, 2007
i love this book
October 16, 2017
As raunchy as a teenager. Though actually in this book the middle-aged parents are pretty raunchy too, not caring--or maybe enjoying--how their love life embarrasses Diego.
Has some reflexive homophobia, but also shows Diego being totally cool with a queer sibling, which seems about accurate for many young straight men.
Vernacular & slangy in the best way and full of great turns of phrase. Now I'm tempted to refer to round behinds as "onions".
One!
Has some reflexive homophobia, but also shows Diego being totally cool with a queer sibling, which seems about accurate for many young straight men.
Vernacular & slangy in the best way and full of great turns of phrase. Now I'm tempted to refer to round behinds as "onions".
One!
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July 23, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Queermisia
Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use
Physical assault
Queermisia
Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use
Physical assault
July 3, 2011
I have not started reading but glanced through a couple pages and wondered is this a young adult book or for adults since I saw cuss-words in the novel.
This book reads like grown-ups, borderline erotica but has a sense of humor that doesn't carry so much in young adult books...a lot of chit-chatter among the characters especially Diego aka Supreme. I couldn't believe not only the cussing but also the sexual content and thought-process in the young man's mind first few pages of the novel. Difficult to read, not because of writing style but what is actually in a YA book. I would not suggest or recommend this for teens, more likely adults with teen characters.
*I made sure I didn't do this in mines regardless of teens are using profane words in their vocabulary. If so, this is a turn-off for me, especially for our youth literature, and hopefully I can bypass that to read the book.
This book reads like grown-ups, borderline erotica but has a sense of humor that doesn't carry so much in young adult books...a lot of chit-chatter among the characters especially Diego aka Supreme. I couldn't believe not only the cussing but also the sexual content and thought-process in the young man's mind first few pages of the novel. Difficult to read, not because of writing style but what is actually in a YA book. I would not suggest or recommend this for teens, more likely adults with teen characters.
*I made sure I didn't do this in mines regardless of teens are using profane words in their vocabulary. If so, this is a turn-off for me, especially for our youth literature, and hopefully I can bypass that to read the book.
November 17, 2013
The author has a great writing style and the book was very engaging. There was a lot more sex than what I would have expected for teens that age but it was fiction! Most people in adult novels have a lot more sex than the average person who has a job, kids, any kind of life (laughing). I knew from the first page that I would not recommend it to a younger teen, or even a teen the age that the characters were in the actually story. Maybe an older teen... and I think I would still cringe if that teen's mother found it and said "WHERE did you get this?!" and the youth had to give MY name? Definitely awkward. Never mind, I think you should just read it yourself, forget about giving it to anybody's child for Christmas!
May 2, 2008
After an embarrassing evening in bed, Diego’s insecurities cause his girl, Roxy, to break up with him. It’s all good though, because Diego’s best friend, J-Live, has a plan – he’s going to boost Diego’s confidence by turning him into Dr. Dexter Truelove, an online expert on love, sex, and relationships. As J-Live’s plan gets more ridiculously out of hand, it’s up to Diego to figure out what’s really important and win Roxy back.
A little too ridiculous for me, but a good rec for older teens looking for a funnier, sexier, "guy" version of Kimani Tru or Drama High.
A little too ridiculous for me, but a good rec for older teens looking for a funnier, sexier, "guy" version of Kimani Tru or Drama High.
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September 9, 2008This book is on the bibliography of books challenged, restricted, removed or banned in 2007-2008 put out by Robert P. Doyle and the American Library Association. More info at http://www.ila.org/pdf/2008banned.pdf
July 26, 2016
I read early manuscripts of this when I worked at a literary agency. When I saw this published and finally go full circle, I was ecstatic! The book was as funny as I remembered. I'm so happy for this author!
November 1, 2008
Some of the plots in this book were surprising and kinda weird to me in 10th grade.
January 29, 2012
Pretty good book. I would recommend to a older teenager audience. Happy to see that D got Roxy back.
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August 13, 2008Not about gangs, crime, or violence!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews